Many packaging applications use resealable containers to store various types of articles and materials. These packages may be used to store and ship food products, non-food consumer goods, medical supplies, waste materials, and many other articles.
Resealable packages are convenient in that they can be closed and resealed after the initial opening to preserve the enclosed contents. The need to locate a storage container for the unused portion of the products in the package is thus avoided. As such, providing products in resealable packages appreciably enhances the marketability of those products.
Some types of resealable closure mechanisms are opened and closed using slider closure mechanisms. Typical resealable slider closure mechanism designs include a separator or plow-type structure at one end that opens the mechanism when the slider travels in one direction along the mechanism. The side walls of the slider are tapered at the opposite end so as to close the mechanism when the slider travels along the mechanism in the opposite direction. Side seals on the side of the resealable closure mechanism keep the slider from sliding off the package in either direction.
When a slider having this type of plow is moved to close the package, a side seal on the side of the package prevents the slider from traveling off the end of the package. The side seal holds the closure profile closed at the end, thus stopping the plow from moving further. However, the side seal does not allow the slider to sit tightly against the side of the package. Consequently, a passageway is formed that can allow the contents of the package to leak out. Fluids are particularly prone to leaking with this type of closure arrangement.